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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. current — electric
  3. current — of water
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. can — a tin
  6. pitch — completely
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. current — happening now
  9. kid — child
  10. object — a thing
  11. object — to protest
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. pop — to visit
  14. kid — to tease
  15. game — a match
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. can — a tin
  18. pop — music
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. can — to be able to
  21. rock — music
  22. object — an aim
  23. pop — soda
  24. game — wild animals

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com